Two hundred and forty-two members voted in favor of the motion and no one opposed in favor of the law aimed to set up constitutionally protected military courts to try civilian terrorism suspects, announced NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq .

Members of the National Assembly belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F) abstained from voting.

The two bills – the Constitution (Twenty-first Amendment) Bill and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) — were expected to have been passed a day earlier but voting was deferred after the government fell short of the required two-thirds majority – 228 members – for the passage of the amendments.

Following approval of the bill in the National Assembly , the bills will be tabled in Senate which is also expected to pass the amendment bill.

Earlier around 150 parliamentarians from various political parties attended the breakfast meeting called by the prime minister on Tuesday. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao were among those absent from the meeting which was being held in the Speaker’s Lounge.

Premier Sharif took the guest parliamentarians into confidence on bills empowering military courts and assured them that the law would not be misused. He stressed that the measures were the need of the hour and reservations held by JUI-F would be adequately addressed.